US President Donald Trump said in his annual address to Congress on the 24th of February that he has ushered in a “golden age” for America, thus creating a successful impression despite declining poll results and deepening voter dissatisfaction ahead of the midterm elections, Reuters reports.
Heeding Republican concerns that the party could lose its majority in Congress by the end of the year, Trump spent the first hour of his speech talking about the economy, noting that he has slowed inflation, raised the stock market to record levels, cut taxes significantly and brought down drug prices. It is unclear whether the president’s rosy picture will calm Americans’ dissatisfaction with the cost of living. Trump has tried to blame his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, but polls show that voters blame the current president for failing to address the cost-cutting crisis after relentlessly campaigning on it.
As he took the stage, Trump said the American people were back, bigger, better, richer and stronger than ever. He was cheered on by Republican congressmen, while many Democratic seats were empty. Many Democrats had chosen to hold anti-Trump rallies outside.
The annual address came at a time when Trump’s presidency is at a fragile point. Polls show voters are disillusioned with his job performance, and there is growing disquiet about the situation in Iran and the president’s tariffs, most of which have been overturned by the US Supreme Court.
For most of the speech, Trump was unusually reserved, sticking mostly to his prepared remarks,
avoiding saying every thought that came to mind. However, when it came to immigration issues, the president showed his combative side, exchanging loud insults with some Democrats.
The US president’s speech lasted about an hour and 47 minutes, making it the longest presidential address to Congress.
Although Trump said inflation was falling, the prices of food, housing, insurance and utilities are still significantly higher than they were a few years ago. Data released on February 20 showed that the economy slowed more than expected in the last quarter, and inflation has risen. A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that only 36% of Americans approve of Trump’s economic policies.
Democrats hope to take control of both houses of Congress in November.
The US president did not discuss artificial intelligence in his speech, despite the fact that the technology is currently affecting the stock market and raising concerns among workers about the threat to their jobs. Trump also touched on foreign policy little. He repeatedly emphasized that he has ended eight wars, which is an exaggeration, but he barely mentioned the war in Ukraine. There was no mention of China, the US’s main economic competitor, or Greenland, which Trump has promised to take over. The speech also did not provide clarity on his plans for Iran, when developments suggest that Trump is moving towards a military conflict with Tehran. Trump said that he prefers to solve problems diplomatically, but will not allow the world’s main sponsor of terrorism to obtain nuclear weapons.
On his favorite topic – migration – Trump used the same rhetoric that drove his election campaign, namely that immigrants are responsible for the increase in violent crime, even though research does not show this. Polls show that most Americans believe Trump has gone too far in curbing immigration. Masked federal agents shot and killed two US citizens in Minneapolis, sparking widespread protests.
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